'Exported Nigeria yams weren't rejected'

'Exported Nigeria yams weren't rejected' - Ministerial Aide

Yams harvested for market

By YUSUF GOJE

The Technical Assistant to the Honorable Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development on Quality Control and Standardization, Mrs Heather R. Akanni, has adjudged Nigerian yams to be of high quality, debunking claims by some section of the media that the first exported products of yam were rejected due to poor quality.

She stated that: “Nigerian yams were not rejected because of quality, but due to the long period it took to arrive its destination, some of the products got spoiled along the way. Unfortunately, some of the media outfits only chose to harp on a baseless standpoint that they were rejected".

She disclosed that, "the law banning yam export is being reviewed and presently at the second reading stage in the National Assembly”. In ensuring that our yams continue to meet the international standards, she said, clustering of farmers to ensure that only approved certified yam seeds were made available to them is necessary.The ministerial aide reiterated that having quality seeds was not enough because extension services were needed as well to ensure right application by farmers.

Mrs Akanni who was speaking on Tuesday during her interface with an advocacy group at the meeting to finalize advocacy briefs on Agriculture Seeds, held at Partnership to Engage, Reform and Learn (PERL) Office, Maitama, Abuja, expressed satisfaction with organizers of the event.

Highpoint of the meeting facilitated by PERL was the merger of two advocacy groups working on farmers’ limited participation in agriculture policy making processes and strengthening extension services around seeds.

Comments

Jema'a Council boss seeks support of civil society on OGP

I n his bid to institutionalize the ongoing local government reforms in Kaduna state especially the principles of Open Government Partnership (OGP), the Chairman of Jema'a Local Government Council has solicited support of civil society in promoting transparency, accountability and improve service delivery that would impact positively on the lives of the people in his local government. Council Chairman, Hon Danjuma Peter Averik, who made this known when he paid a courtesy visit to officials of Partnership to Engage, Reform and Learn(PERL/DFID) in their Kaduna office, said his visit became necessary to solicit for partnership against the backdrop of his passionate desire to engender transparency and accountability in his administration. "I am here to seek for collaboration that can help in institutionalizing key local government reforms especially the OGP and Local Government Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability (LFTAS) program towards improvin...

Mix reactions trail Kaduna LG Elections

Voters in Jema'a follow results to collation Centre at Kafanchan By Dangwa Danjuma T wenty-four hours after closure of balloting in the Saturday May 12, polls in the state, Returning Officers in some of the LG areas are no where to be found. Cubinks investigations reveal that election results for all the 255 wards of all the Local Government areas would have been collated before now, were it not for the absence of the runaway Returning Officers. "The returning officers have left election officials, party agents with tensed voters stranded at polling units; and are nowhere to be found. In Jema’a, 5 wards namely Aso, Atukun, Badeh, Takau and Maigizo have turned in their results to the Local Government collation Centre and could not find the Local Government returning officer to receive the result", fumed one of the frustrated voters. Our Correspondent gathered that the situation is not different in Birnin Gwar...

2023: Key stakeholders harp on issues-based campaign in Kaduna

From (L) Hayatudeen Makarfi (PRP), Jonathan Asake (LP), John Ayuba (PDP) & Andrew Duya (APGA) A s the kick-off of electioneering and political activities draw near, members of the electorate and civil society organizations, in collaboration with political observers have emphasized the need for issues-based campaign towards the forthcoming 2023 general elections. The stakeholders made this known at an agenda-setting dialogue with governorship candidates in the state, organized by Partnership for issues-based Campaign in Nigeria (PICAN) supported by Partnership to Engage, Reform and Learn (PERL/FCDO) in conjunction with Legal Awareness for Nigerian Women (LANW We-You Pro). NATIONAL ACCORD reports that the 2023 gubernatorial election in Kaduna state would be critical as citizens through various accountability mechanisms during the week engaged the candidates of four political parties on issues which touch on insecurity, healthcare, poverty alleviation, education, social protectio...

Expert advocates for prudence and and accountability in Treasury Management

By EDDY OCHIGBO L ack of efficient and prudent treasury management in the country have been identified as the source of fraud and sharp practices in nation's public and private sector. Dropping the hint during a breakfast meeting with Correspondents in Kaduna during the week, the Registrar and Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute of Treasury Management of Nigeria, Mr Adedoyin Olumide, reiterated that poor treasury management remains the bane of public and private finance utilization in the country, calling for greater synergy among all professionals in accounting, banking and finance. He disclosed tha...

Coalition urges COP-27 to fast track advocacy against Climate Change

Participants in a group photograph after the event in Kaduna By EDDY OCHIGBO, A coalition of environmental organizations in Kaduna, under the aegis Extinction Rebellion (XR) - a global movement which seeks to persuade governments to act justly on climate change and ecological emergency - has hosted a pre-COP27, in partnership with Bridge-that-Gap Initiative, to galvanize the campaign against climate change, as the the 27th Conference of Parties slated for Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt kicks off. In an exclusive interview with NATIONAL ACCORD, one the coordinators of the event in Kaduna metropolis, Mr Zinta Akpoko, revealed that COP27, Egypt could become a turning point of the campaign, given that forerunners of the conference have since pledged to relentlessly push to prioritize climate financing for developing nations. "The effect of climate change is very evident and we need to be very frank by telling the truth about the inherent dangers tha...

Cubinks NEWS

Search This Blog